Breaths
by Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs
Summary: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take... but by the number of moments that take our breath away." -Hilary Cooper Jibbs one-shot fluff!


A/N: So this is a cute little Jibbs one-shot that popped into my head when I read this quote. They're already a couple in this one, just so you know. Hope you guys like it, and leave me a review pretty please :)

("Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take…but by the moments that take our breath away" –Hilary Cooper)

Jenny Shepard stood in the bedroom, looking through her clothes as she tried to decide what she was going to wear to her meeting today. She hadn't made any progress when she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, pulling her against a muscular chest. She sighed happily, going easily with the motion, and rested her head on Jethro's shoulder.

Jethro looked down at Jenny, smiling at her as she gazed back, her green eyes bright and happy. He kissed her nose, causing her to giggle and turn in his arms. She slipped her arms around his neck; leaning closer to him and brushing her lips against his in a gentle kiss that simmer with passion. She pulled back, wrinkling her nose at him.

"I have a meeting. And you have paperwork."

Reluctantly, Jethro let go of her waist, allowing her to grab a skirt and blouse and put them on before turning and sliding a belt through his pant loops, cinching it at the waist. He pulled a white t-shirt over his head and a blue polo over that and grabbed a jacket before turning back to Jenny.

"Jenny, what do you say to a vacation?"

Jenny turned to his, surprise all over her face. Jethro was not one for vacations. He barely took time off, Mexico being the exception.

"Well, what kind of vacation did you have in mind?"

"Well, how about…Paris?" Jethro asked, looking at her to gauge her reaction. Jenny stood in place, shocked.

"Are you…really, Jethro?" Jenny asked, her mind reeling.

"Yeah, Jen, really. I already got the tickets." Jethro said, grabbing the two plane tickets from the dresser drawer and showing them to her. Jenny walked over slowly, not entirely trusting her legs to support her, and took the pieces of paper. Reading them, she looked up at Jethro, her smile wide.

"Jethro…this is unbelievable. Thank you."

"Well, you look like you need a break, and you've been talking about going to Paris for a few weeks, so I decided to be proactive for once in my life." Jethro said with a shrug. "I just want to see you happy, Jenny."

"Oh, Jethro this makes me happier than you can imagine." Jenny said, throwing her arms around him and kissing him happily, her emotions clear on the surface.

That was the first time he took her breath away.

-J&J-

Jenny stepped out of the Parisian cab, pulling Jethro with her. He slammed the door behind them and followed her onto the sidewalk, where she turned expectantly to him.

"Would you please tell me where we are going?" Jenny asked, looking up at him. Her red hair was loose and in ringlets, just as he liked it, and her crimson colored satin dress hugged her curves, accentuating her beauty.

"We're going there." Jethro said as he pointed to one of the most famous landmarks of the City of Love. Jenny gasped when he pointed to the Eiffel Tower.

"We're going to eat in the Eiffel Tower? Jethro…how did you manage that?" Jenny asked, still disbelieving.

"Let's just say I won't be pissing the FBI off anytime soon." Jethro said as way of explanation, and Jenny shook her head at him, kissing his cheek.

They ate dinner in the tower, Jenny's excitement spilling over to Jethro, who was smiling more than he had in a while. She grasped his hand, squeezing the fingers as she gazed around her, the green in her eyes bright and happy. Jethro was just glad Jenny was happy; work had been stressful and she needed a chance to relax. He was glad this trip had offered that to them.

After dinner, he led her to the top of the tower, where he held her close as they examined the stars. Reaching into his pocket, he fingered the object inside, smiling to himself. He waited, tightening his grip on her. A firework shot into the sky, and Jenny jumped slightly before turning her face to the sky, watching the blues and yellows and reds and greens mix with the stars, lighting up the sky.

Jethro pulled the tiny box out of his pocket, opening it to reveal a diamond nestled on a white gold band and placing it in front of Jenny as he whispered in her ear.

"I love you Jenny. Marry me?"

That was the second time he took her breath away.

-J&J-

Jethro stood at the altar, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. He smoothed his suit once again, checking his tie nervously. Tony stood behind him, and noticing his boss' nervousness, clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Boss, you've done this before. Don't freak out or anything. Jenny may hurt you."

"DiNozzo, remind me to never ask you for a pep talk." Jethro said, shaking his head at his senior field agent.

"Right. Got it boss." Tony said, smiling anyway.

Moments later, the familiar tune played on the piano, and the people in the pews stood, turning towards the back of the church. Jethro straightened, his gaze trained on the doors. They opened to reveal the bridesmaids as they walked down the aisle, single file. Ziva came first, followed by Abby and Cynthia, and finally one of Jenny's close friends, Elizabeth. Then, Jenny came into view.

In her flowing white dress, she was a vision. She held Ducky's arm, and they progressed down the aisle. Her red hair was in a twist by her neck, and her green gaze met his, her cheeks flooding with color. Jethro realized just how much she meant to him, and how much he had wanted this day to come.

That was the third time she took his breath away.

-J&J-

Jenny sat in the doctor's office, browsing through a magazine while she waited for her name to be called. Her husband sat next to her, twiddling his thumbs in boredom. Both rising when her name was called, Jenny led Jethro to the exam room, where he stood while she sat in the chair. There was a knock, and the doctor stuck her head in.

"Hey guys. How are we today?"

"We're good. Anxious." Jenny said, exchanging a look with Jethro.

"Well, let's have a look shall we?" the doctor said, smiling as she placed the gel on Jenny's stomach, letting it warm up before placing the instrument on her skin. Jenny held Jethro's hand, eyes intent on the screen.

"There's your baby, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs." the doctor said, showing them the tiny outline of a baby on the screen. Moments later, the sound of a tiny heartbeat filled the room, and Jenny brought a hand to her face, wiping away the tears.

That moment took both their breaths away.

-J&J-

Jethro stood outside the glass wall of the nursery at the hospital, looking at his daughter in her tiny bassinet. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, a tiny hat on her head. As he watched, she brought a tiny hand up to her eye, rubbing at it blearily before blinking her big green eyes open, her tiny mouth opening in a yawn.

"Mr. Gibbs?" a nurse said, coming over to him. He looked up, and the woman smiled. "Would you like to hold your daughter?"

Not able to form a sentence quite yet, he simply nodded, and the nurse led him into the room, where she wheeled over the tiny baby. She lifted her up carefully, and Jethro cradled the baby in his arms. He rocked her gently, running a finger over her soft cheek. The baby started to fuss, and Jethro rubbed her stomach softly, soothing her.

"Hey, it's okay. It's only Daddy. It's only your Daddy, Katie. Sh, don't cry." Jethro said quietly, kissing the baby's forehead.

The nurse smiled as she watched the man with his daughter. He was gentle with her, and she instinctively knew he'd be a good father.

"Sir, if you want to take her upstairs to your wife, you can." the man looked at her, nodding gratefully before carefully walking out of the nursery, heading in the direction of his wife's room.

Jethro held Kaitlyn carefully as he walked to Jenny's room, cradling her close to his chest. He reached his wife's room, surprised to find her awake.

Jenny looked up when she heard footsteps, and she smiled when she saw her husband cradling their daughter. Her heart swelled with love as she watched Jethro with Kaitlyn. He was so gentle with her, and Jenny couldn't be happier.

Walking over to Jenny, Jethro leaned on the edge of the bed, letting Jenny rest her head on his arm. Carefully, he transferred their daughter into her arms, slipping his own arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

Slowly, Kaitlyn's eyes blinked opened, the green color clouded with sleep. She gurgled happily, burying her face in Jenny's chest. Jenny looked up at Jethro, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Jethro brushed them away, kissing her forehead gently.

In that moment, both parents realized that this little girl would take away their breath more times than they would ever be able to count. And they couldn't wait.


End file.
